1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to identifying signals from multiple sources and, more particularly, to identifying broadcast radio signals and radio signals received via a packet-based network.
2. Description of the Related Art
The amount of information displayed while audio signals are produced by many devices has changed dramatically in recent years and further changes have been proposed. For decades, radios only provided an indication of the band selected and an approximation of the frequency to which the radio was tuned. Similarly a user was limited to estimating the track and viewing a rotating label of a phonograph as it was played. Now, digital displays on tuners provide a more precise indication of frequency and some permit a user to manually enter call letters for stations. For recorded music, CD players indicate the track and often the number of minutes and seconds the track has been played.
In addition, personal computers are now used as audio and video output devices from locally stored media, such as compact discs (CDs), or Motion Pictures Experts Group (MPEG) files stored in mass memory. There are also databases available, e.g., via packet-based networks, such as the global network commonly referred to as the Internet, containing information on titles, tracks, and artists of CDs, as well as sources for streaming audio or downloadable audio files. Sources for streaming audio available via the Internet include radio stations that also broadcast signals from antenna to antenna and xe2x80x9cInternet-onlyxe2x80x9d stations that have programming of a particular format or genre. Databases that identify streaming audio also often include location, language of any spoken audio, network address, speed of delivery, call letters, frequency, slogan, logo, and genre or format. Computer software, commonly termed xe2x80x9cplayer software,xe2x80x9d that outputs the signal received from such network addresses via streaming audio often displays information about an audio selection currently being received, including information identifying the source, name of the artist(s) that produced the music or other audio, and album and track titles, if the audio is from a recording with multiple tracks, such as a CD. The player software for streaming audio received via the Internet often permits storage of addresses in a local or personal database, to simplify subsequent selection of sources. Such databases are often identified as xe2x80x9cpresetsxe2x80x9d in the user interface of the player software.
Also, there are several different broadcast systems using digital audio signals that are broadcast from antenna to antennas or via cable, such as the audioonly channels provided by digital cable and satellite television systems, and include signal information in text that is embedded in the digital stream along with the audio signal. This is very similar to the way that the player software for streaming audio receives the information that is displayed by the computer display. When the equipment used to receive a broadcast signal containing embedded textual information is not a personal computer, information similar to that described above for player software may be displayed selectively, on a scrolling screen, or in some other manner.
Examples of embedded information in broadcast signals include those used by WebTV(trademark) for hyperlinks associated with a program as it is broadcast and by Gemstar International Group Limited for program guide information which is best known for use by VCR Plus+(copyright). Both of these services use the vertical blanking interval (VBI) in analog television signals. However, some broadcasters remove the embedded signals and the association is primarily with the content of the program being broadcast.
In addition to stand-alone receivers for signals received from a broadcast antenna, or its cable equivalent, peripheral devices are available for computers to receive broadcast audio (and video) signals. Depending on the software used and the signal supplied by the source, the computer display may include signal information, such as call letters and frequency, as well as album and track titles. However, no known device integrates signals received from a broadcast antenna, or its cable equivalent, with signals received via a packet-based network or that can automatically obtain information about a broadcast signal that does not have textual information embedded in the signal, as some digital broadcasts do.
It is an object of the present invention to automatically identify broadcast signals.
It is another object of the present invention to display information about a broadcast signal received via an antenna.
It is a further object of the present invention to display information about signals that can be received via both broadcast and a packet-based network.
It is yet another object of the present invention to automatically switch between a radio signal receivable via both antenna and a packet-based network.
It is a still further object of the present invention to obtain data on listener habits from radio preset selections.
The above objects can be attained by a method of identifying signal sources, including obtaining a signal from a signal source via a communication medium; and accessing at least one database from a data source separate from the signal source to obtain signal information about the signal source.
These together with other objects and advantages which will be subsequently apparent, reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout.